Beautiful Outlaw

                                                                
     When you envision a beautiful outlaw, who comes to mind? Tom Laughlin in Billy Jack? Willie or Waylon? How about Rebecca Romijn as Mystique in X-Men or Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct? Marlon Brando?   I just finished the book, Beautiful Outlaw, by John Eldredge. It's about Jesus. It may break every preconceived notion you have ever had about the man. If you have ever uttered the phrase, "I hate religion", this book is for you. You will get more ammunition than you need, to have a serious discussion on how rotten religion can be. If you are already a fan of Jesus, this book will put him in a whole different light.   
     Don't hate the player, hate the game. Ever said that before? I lived in Detroit, the year or so "that" was the popular buzz. It seemed like everyone said it at one time or another. It seemed to pertain to just about everything and this book takes that exact approach. It deals directly with religious fog and it begins to show us Jesus, before the world started washing all his robes in  Oxyclean.
     This guy exhibited , perhaps the highest level of emotional intelligence possible. It talks about him being a wanted man since birth. A guy that took it right to 'um! He was coy, laid back, deliberate and when needed, an ass kicking machine! The scene where Jesus empties the temple, plays out in a fashion that would make Francis Ford Coppola or Quintin Tarantino experience an "ah hah" moment. [Jesus]Telling the crowd, things are about to get buck wild if they don't clear out? [eyes panning the room]Scrounging around for something to make a serious whip out of, as he's breaking the bad news to them? Dumping tables [like Scarface]and throwing crap across the room, and at the peak of his fury, coming to a screeching halt, doing a 180 and gently picking up a cage of doves and asks someone to see that they are taken out as well, only to turn on a dime, once again and start re wrecking the place. How cool is that? 
     In this book, Eldredge, explains Jesus as a guy, more content to go fishing with The Big Labowski than definitely, the Pope. When things were down and out, Jesus preferred to head to the woods and have a fire or go fishing with the fellas. Here was a guy that hated stupid rules. If they had buttons in those days, Jesus probably would have worn one that said, "Question Authority". Cook for friends? Heck yes! Might as well invite the whole town in for dinner, they're all laying around outside anyway. Dang, it's 2:00a.m. and we are all out of wine, How does 160 gallons sound? Thanks Jesus.[aw, it was nothing. It was my moms idea anyway]
     Fierce Intention, Extravagant Generosity, Disruptive Honesty,Cunning. These are just a few examples of how Eldredge refers to Jesus. Ever use  them before to describe Jesus? At certain times in this book, it could almost seem as though he's talking about Chazz Palminteri's character "Sonny" from A Bronx Tale.
   If you have any inclination to peer through the religious fog, read the book. If you wish to bust the chops of the next person that tells you, go to church or confession or you're going to hell, read the book. If you're a person that roots for the underdog, out numbered and stays cool, like Fonzie, the whole time, read the book. If you hate smug, pious people who think they know everything, read the book. If you want to see Jesus for more than just that guy with long hair, in a bright white robe, so tenderly carrying that lamb across his shoulders, read the book.